On the recordJune 25, 2019
I am not in the habit of praising the President from this perch, but I do want to say that I am very pleased that we are not in yet another shooting war in the Middle East today. I think we came very, very close, and I appreciate that the President had the courage to stand down some raids that, undoubtedly, would have led to a response and led to another war in the Middle East. I know he does that at the risk of being criticized for potentially damaging American credibility, but we are not in a war today. That is an argument for history. What is not an argument for history is that any aggression, any military action against Iran, must be approved by the Congress of the United States. It is clear in the Constitution that a decision to go to war must be made in this building. I urge my friends on both sides of the aisle to reflect on the reason for that. If we are going to sacrifice blood and treasure, the Representatives of the people must make that decision, not one individual at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. Now is the time for us to consider whether another Middle Eastern war makes sense for the people of the United States of America. ____________________
